Flail holder for debarking apparatus



July 24, 1956 w. R. STREED EIAL 2,755,829

FLAIL HOLDER FOR DEBARKING APPARATUS Filed June 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L BY GLOF Pr- STEEED g Fig 5 A TOENEYS July 24, 1956 w. R. STREED ETAL 2,755,829

FLAIL HOLDER FOR DEBARKING APPARATUS Filed June 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III ' INVENTOR. WILLIAM E. STQEED BY OLOF V. fiTQEED WM ZJdz/T,

4 TTOENEYS FLAIL HGLDER FGR DEBARKING APPARATUS William R. Streed and Olaf V. Streed, Attalla, Ala.

Application June 10, 1955, Serial No. 514,644

7 Claims. (Cl. 144-2tl8) This invention relates to apparatus for removing bark from sawmill slabs and the like, and more particularly to improved means for holding the beating elements in a flail-type debarker.

An object of our invention is to provide a flail holder for debarking apparatus which shall include curved contact surfaces at each side of an inner or secured end of the flail, thus preventing fatigue of the metal from which the flail is made.

A further object of our invention is to provide a flail holder of the character designated which shall be simple of construction, economical of manufacture and one in which the flail elements may be installed and removed with a minimum of effort.

As is well known in the art to which our invention relates, various means have been provided for holding the flail elements of debarking apparatus. However, so far as we are aware, such means hold the flails in such a manner that they are repeatedly flexed or bent, thus causing fatigue of the metal from which the flails are made. This is particularly true with flexible flails due to the fact that they are subjected to repeated vibrations and shocks which cause the metal from which they are made to become brittle and thus to break after a short period of service.

Briefly, our improved flail holder embodies a pair of spaced rotary support members connected by a plurality of laterally spaced cylindrical members. The cylindrical members extend substantially parallel to each other, thus defining longitudinally extending openings between adjacent ones thereof. The flail elements pass through the openings and the inner ends of the flail elements are provided with enlarged portions which are of a width greater than the width of the longitudinally extending openings whereby the flails are held in place. Oppositely disposed cutaway portions are provided in adjacent surfaces of the cylindrical members whereby a passageway is provided for inserting the enlarged ends of the flail elements. Means is also provided for closing the passageways after the enlarged portions of the flails have been inserted.

Apparatus embodying features of our invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation, showing our improved flail holder associated with conventional means for feeding sawmill slabs thereunder to be debarked;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the flail holder, partly broken awa and showing a fragment of the supporting means and drive means therefor;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line Illlll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the line lV-lV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing one form of flail element which may be employed; and,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing another form of flail element which may be employed.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of our invention, we show our improved flail holder sates atent generally at 10 associated with a conventional type of feed mechanism 11 for conveying the object to be debarked, such as a sawmill slab 12, through the apparatus. The feed mechanism comprises a supporting frame 13 having a plurality of slab-supporting rollers 14 mounted for rotation thereon. Mounted for rotation in suitable bearings beneath the slab-supporting rollers 14 is a transverse shaft 16 which is driven by a motor 17 through a suitable sprocket-chain connection 18. Mounted for pivotal movement on the shaft 16 are forwardly and rearwardly extending arms 19 and 21, respectively. Mounted for rotation at the free ends of the arms H and 21 are transverse feed rollers 22 and 23, respectively. The feed rollers 22 and 23 are driven by the shaft 16 through suitable chain connections 24 and 26, respectively, whereby the slab 12 is conveyed from right to left, as viewed in Fig. l.

Secured to the frame 13 and extending downwardly above each side of the feed mechanism 11 are support members 27 and 28 for supporting our improved flail holder 10. Mounted at the lower ends of the support members 27 and 28 are bearing members 29 and 31 for short shaft members 32 and 33, respectively.

Secured to the inner ends of the shaft members 32 and 33, such as by welding, are disc-shaped support members 34 and 36. Extending between the support members 34' and 36 and secured thereto as by welding at 37, are a plurality of parallel laterally spaced cylindrical members 38 defining an interior chamber 46. As shown in Fig. 3, the cylindrical members 38 are substantially equidistant from each other and from the center of the support members 34 and 36 whereby longitudinally extending openings 39 are provided between adjacent ones of the cylindrical members. The openings 39 are of a width to pass the medial portions of elongated, flexible flail elements indicated at 41. Secured to the inner ends of the flail elements 41 are short sleeve members 42. As shown in Fig. 3, the diameter or width of the sleeve members 42 is greater than the width of the longitudinally extending openings 39, whereby outward movement of the flail elements is limited and the flail elements are held in place between the curved surfaces of the cylindrical members 38. In practice, the flails 41 may be lengths of wire rope of suitable kind and diameter.

To insert the flail elements 41 into the holder 10, we cut away oppositely disposed portions of adjacent cylindrical members 38 at one end of the holder, as shown at 43 in Fig. 4, thereby providing a round opening 44 for passing the cylindrical members 42 into the interior chamber 46. The longitudinally extending openings 39 together with the round openings 44 adjacent the end of the flail holder 10 provide a keyhole type slot for inserting the flail elements. That is, the enlarged inner ends of the flail elements 41 are first inserted in the opening 44 and the flail elements are then shifted along the longitudinal slot 39 until all of the flail elements have been installed, thus providing longitudinal rows of flail elements, as shown in Fig. 2. After the flail elements 41 have been installed, a round plug member 47 is inserted in each of the openings 44, whereby the flail elements are held in place. The outer ends of the plugs 47 are reduced in size to provide a relatively flat surface 48 adjacent the outer ends thereof, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The plugs 47 are detachably connected to the disc-like support member 34 by means of bolts 49 and nuts 51, whereby the plugs 47 may be readily removed for replacing the flail elements 41 when necessary.

A sprocket 52 is keyed to the short shaft 32 and is driven by a motor 53 through a sprocket chain 54, thereby imparting rotation to the entire flail holder 10. As the flails 41 rotate they assume radial positions under the influence of centrifugal force whereupon they engage the slab 12 and remove the bark therefrom in a manner well understood. A suitable guard member 56 surrounds the flail holder, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the flails are exposed only during the lower portion of their travel.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the flail elements may be of a U-shape with the enlarged portions 42 at the free ends thereof, whereby the flail elements assume substantially radial positions under the influence of centrifugal force with the bights of the Ushaped loops engaging the slab, or other object, to be debarked.

In Fig. 6 we show a modified form of flail element 41a having enlarged end portions 42a. With this type of flail element, one end thereof is inserted in the holder 10 in the manner described hereinabove with its other end extending outwardly of the holder whereby it assumes a radial position under the influence of centrifugal force and thus engages the slab to be debarked.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that we have devised an improved flail holder for slab-debarking apparatus which holds the flails in place between smooth curved surfaces, thus preventing fatigue at localized areas. Furthermore, by providing openings between the cylindrical members adjacent the disc-like holder, the flail elements may readily be installed and removed Without disassembly of the holder 10.

While we have shown our invention in but two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the function thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a flail holder for debarking apparatus, spaced rotary support members, a plurality of laterally spaced cylindrical members connecting said support members and defining an interior chamber, said cylindrical members extending substantially parallel to each other and defining longitudinally extending openings between adjacent ones thereof, elongated flails extending from said interior chamber outwardly through said openings, portions of said elongated flails being enlarged, and said enlarged portions being disposed within said interior chamber and having transverse dimensions greater than the Width of said openings whereby said flails are held in place by the two cylindrical members adjacent thereto.

2. In a flail holder for debarking apparatus, a pair of spaced rotary support members, a plurality of laterally spaced cylindrical members connecting said support members and defining an interior chamber, said cylindrical members extending substantially parallel to each other and defining longitudinally extending openings be tween adjacent ones thereof, elongated flails extending from said interior chamber outwardly through said openings, portions of said elongated flails being enlarged, said enlarged portions being disposed within said interior chamber and having transverse dimensions greater than the width of said openings whereby said flails are held in place by the two cylindrical members adjacent thereto, and there being confronting cut-away portions in adjacent surfaces of said cylindrical members, said cut-away portions defining passageways communicating with said interior chamber and with said longitudinally extending openings for passing said enlarged portions during assembly or replacement of said flails.

3. A flail holder as defined in claim 2 in which the 6 passageways are located adjacent one of the support members, and plug members are disposed in said passageways and detachably connected to the adjacent support member.

4. In a flail holder for debarking apparatus, spaced support members, a plurality of laterally spaced cylindrical members connecting said support members and defining an interior chamber, said cylindrical members extending substantially parallel to each other and defining longitudinally extending openings between adjacent ones thereof, shaft members secured to said support members and projecting outwardly therefrom, means supporting said shaft members for rotation, elongated, flexible flails extending from said interior chamber outwardly through said openings, inner ends of said flails being enlarged and having transverse dimensions greater than the width of said openings whereby the flails are held in place between the two cylindrical members adjacent thereto, the latter being provided with a passageway communicating with said interior chamber and with said longitudinally extending opening for passing sad enlarged portions during assembly or replacement of said flails, and means closing said passageways after said flails have been assembled.

5. In a flail holder for debarking apparatus, spaced rotary support members, a plurality of cylindrical members extending substantially parallel to each other and connected at opposite ends to said support members so as to define an interior chamber, said cylindrical members being spaced substantially equidistant from each other and the centers of said support members whereby longitudinally extending openings are defined between adjacent ones of said cylindrical members, flexible flails extending from said interior chamber outwardly through said openings, inner ends of said flails being enlarged and having transverse dimensions greater than the width of said openings whereby the flails are held in place between the two cylindrical members adjacent thereto.

6. In a flail holder for debarking apparatus, spaced rotary support members, a plurality of laterally spaced cylindrical members connecting said support members and defining an interior chamber, said cylindrical members extending substantially parallel to each other and defining longitudinally extending openings between adjacent ones thereof, a plurality of flexible flails extending from said interior chamber outwardly through said openings, stop members secured to inner ends of said flails and having transverse dimensions greater than the width of said openings whereby the flails are held in place between the two cylindrical members adjacent thereto, the latter being provided with a passageway communicating with said interior chamber and with said longitudinally extending opening for passing said stop members during assembly or replacement of said flails, and means closing said passageways after said flails have been assembled.

7. A flail holder as defined in claim 6 in which the flails are in the form of U-shapecl loops, and the stop members are secured to both ends of said U-shaped loops whereby the flails assume substantially radial positions under the influence of centrifugal force with bight portions of the U-shaped loops striking an object to be debarked.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 1,050,526 France Sept. 2, 1953 

